Dallas Wings forward Alanna Smith went viral for her post-game comments after her team’s 78-70 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Monday. With the Wings’ frontcourt back to full strength after injuries to multiple players, a reporter asked Smith about ways to optimize lineups to improve the team’s two-way connectivity.
Smith said that the question should be directed to Wings coach Jose Fernandez, whose tactics the players are ultimately following.
“That’s probably a question for the coach, I think. Yeah. We just do what we’re instructed.”
The Wings defense has been their biggest weakness, especially since the All-Star break. They are 2-9 during that stretch. While injuries have played a role, certain lineup and schematic choices by Fernandez have also been under scrutiny.
Fernandez hasn’t hesitated to call out his players in the past, so Smith’s comments had some fans rallying behind her.
“He’s officially lost the locker room #YIKES,” one fan said.
More reactions followed.
Alanna Smith bounces back after struggling vs. Fever
Alanna Smith bounced back on Monday after a rough outing in Friday’s 98-87 loss to the Indiana Fever. The Dallas Wings veteran scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out two assists, but shot only 4-for-11 from the field.
Against the Golden State Valkyries, Smith tallied 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. She shot 6-for-9 from the field and had the highest plus-minus on the Wings (+3) in an eight-point loss.
Smith kept the Wings afloat in the first half, scoring nine of her 13 points during that stretch. It was crucial as Paige Bueckers struggled, scoring only two points on 1-for-7 shooting in the first half. It gave Dallas a chance to push for a late comeback.
The Wings made it a six-point game with 17 seconds left. However, the deficit was too big for a comeback.
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